Media picks C-USA title game rematch; Toppers to win East

IRVING, Texas – With the release of the 2017 Conference USA Preseason Media Poll,
WKU Football was picked to win the East Division with 20 of a possible 28
first-place votes. The Hilltoppers are aiming to become the first team in league
history to win three consecutive C-USA titles.

On Monday, WKU earned recognition with a league-best seven players on the Preseason
All-C-USA Team out of 29 possible spots. In addition, quarterback Mike White and
kick returner Kylen Towner were named Preseason C-USA Offensive and Special Teams
Player of the Year, respectively.

The Hilltoppers begin their 2017 campaign at home against in-state rival Eastern
Kentucky on Sept. 2. With first kick at 6 p.m., WKU will look to extend its win
streak to nine after finishing the 2016 campaign on an eight-game tear in which the
squad outscored its opponents 418-to-179.

Over the past two seasons, the Hilltoppers have gone 15-1 in regular season C-USA
contests and then proceeded to win both the 2015 and 2016 Championship Games on the
home turf of Houchens-Smith Stadium.

WKU was previously voted to win the East prior to the 2015 season, and backed up the
selection with a perfect 8-0 year in conference games. Chosen as the No. 2 team in
2016, the Hilltoppers exceeded expectations to repeat as back-to-back champions with
a 7-1 record in league play. In the team’s inaugural 2014 season in C-USA, WKU was
picked to finish fourth in the East and ended up with a 4-4 record and the No. 3
spot at the end of the campaign.

Winners of the West Division in 2016, Louisiana Tech, also received 20 first-place
votes to repeat as tops in the other half of the conference. The Hilltoppers
defeated the Bulldogs by a score of 58-44 in the 2016 Championship Game to claim
their second-straight trophy; the 13th annual C-USA Championship Game will be held
Saturday, Dec. 2.